We all know the look of hailstorm clouds – towering, dark, and full of wind, rain, and ice that can damage our roofs. In the aftermath of a hailstorm, you will want to call Planet Roofing for a free inspection to make sure you don’t have disasters waiting to happen. In our last blog, we discussed macro factors that affect hail damage. In this blog, we will identify what hail damage looks like.

It is important to remember that shingles don’t react the same way to being hit by hail. Depending on the material of the shingle, it will show damage a certain way.

If you have asphalt and composition shingles, hail damage will look like this:

Random damage with no clear pattern

The asphalt and/or mat will appear shiny

Hail hits will be soft to the touch, like a bruised fruit

Hail hits will look black

There will be a loss of granules and possible exposure of roof felt

If you have wood shingles, hail damage will look like this:

Random damage with no clear pattern

Splits with sharp corners and edges

Splits that are orange/brown

Splits that are fresh – with no breaking down on the edges

Dents/impact marks on the splits

Use these indicators to decipher whether your roof has been damaged by hail or if it is simply wearing out. The key is often in freshness – hail damage is sharp and abrupt, while a worn down roof will have many features like blistering, flaking, granule loss, and cracking. There also may be manufacturing defects that look like damage.

Planet Roofing is Denver’s premier roofing contractor, and we offer free roof inspections. Get the honest opinion of a professional before going to your insurance company – you’ll be glad you did!